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-   -   Video editing software recommended? (https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-editing/10284-video-editing-software.html)

flagada 01-24-2020 08:32 AM

Video editing software recommended?
 
Hello! What can you recommend? I'm not a pro at video making so I'd like something easy to use and noob friendly. Subscription is ok if it's worth it.

ehbowen 01-24-2020 09:34 AM

I've been very happy with Corel VideoStudio. It's reasonably priced (currently $64 for the Pro version, although I use the slightly more expensive Ultimate version), you own it (no ongoing license), and there's a 30 day free trial so that you can try it out. Here are some of the features that I've come to appreciate:
  • Storyboard view and/or Timeline view. Work in whichever mode suits you best.
  • Work in 16:9 full HD or 4:3 legacy formats, any resolution you choose. Also supports PAL, although switching between NTSC and PAL is not exactly intuitive (I had to look it up online, but found it quickly).
  • Good library of special effects and transitions included.
  • ScoreFitter royalty-free music included. You can adjust the music to the length of your video and it will automatically insert an intro and finish to match it perfectly.
  • Works well with the lossless codecs which you need for legacy analog video.
  • Also has an import/capture function for digital video, if you have a suitable FireWire card. Dont use this product for capturing analog, however (no dropped frames indication).
  • Includes a number of "Instant Project" templates which give a professional touch to your video starts and endings. Just replace the placeholders with your own clips or still images and insert or change the text overlays.
  • Excellent functionality for exporting, whether digital to MP4 or MPEG-2. Also has DVD mastering capability out of the box with multi-level menu creation; Blu-ray mastering can be added for a modest upcharge ($7.95, last I checked).

So far it has done everything I've asked of it. I've never tried the Adobe suite; I absolutely refuse to purchase productivity software with proprietary file formats on a subscription basis. Give it the 30 day trial and I think you'll want to go ahead and purchase it outright.

lordsmurf 01-24-2020 10:41 AM

I've used Premiere for 20+ years now. However, I stopped with CS6, and refuse to do that "monthly payments to rent software" nonsense. I buy or don't buy, I don't rent. Depending on your needs (ie, not requiring the latest-and-greatest 2K+ resolutions), older pre-subscription versions of Premiere can work quite well, CS3/CS4/CS5/CS6 are all available used.

CS2 is legitimately free from Adobe: https://www.techspot.com/downloads/3...oshop-cs2.html

If I were just starting, I'd look at Vegas, or the above Corel Video Studio. It's hard to argue $65 for video software.

@ehbowen, the only real "proprietary" files I can think of offhand are Photoshop PSDs and Illustrator AIs, but both really have no open equivalent.

SPiel 01-27-2020 02:44 AM

If you need something more lightweight I recommend this online video editor: https://videoeditor.com/
It's much cheaper than other options and you can really speed up the process of making videos. Usually, I use it when working with different social media accounts, the trimming process can be done really fast there.

WarbirdVideos 01-27-2020 11:13 AM

Vegas Video. I've used it for 20 years. It's very straight forward and logical.

BruceOlsen 02-04-2020 01:19 AM

How do you get Corel to deal with huffyuv or lagarith? I downloaded the 64-bit version for Win10 (don't @ me) and it presented only a "j-mpeg" codec when capturing (it also wouldn't import an avi w/huffyuv, either). I asked Corel if they supported other codecs (transcript below) but they stated they don't. Maybe they didn't understand the question or I didn't express it properly? I'm pretty sure the codecs are installed properly, since 64-bit versions of vDub and its cousins all found the codecs.

Quote:

---snip---
Chat started: 2020-01-27 08:25 PM UTC
(08:25:23 PM) Bruce: In Pinnacle Studio, can I use other compression (such as lagarith or huffyuv) in addition to j-mpeg?

(08:25:40 PM) Bruce: I'm using the 64-bit trial

(08:31:38 PM) *** Venkatesh joined the chat ***
(08:31:45 PM) Venkatesh: Welcome to Corel, My Name is Venkatesh.
(08:31:53 PM) Venkatesh: Hello Bruce.
(08:32:04 PM) Bruce: Hi, Venkatesh
(08:32:52 PM) Venkatesh: I understand your query, I am here to help you.
(08:33:36 PM) Bruce: Thanks. I like the product but I need to capture into a lossless form for further processing.
(08:34:43 PM) Venkatesh: I have check with my team on your issue and you cannot do that compressions.
(08:35:23 PM) Bruce: Really? no lossless compression at all? You don't even offer something for sale?
(08:38:02 PM) Venkatesh: Please refer the below link for your reference.
https://www.pinnaclesys.com/en/produ...mate/#features
(08:42:20 PM) Bruce: OK, I guess I'll look at it. Thanks
(08:43:04 PM) Venkatesh: Is there anything else I can help you with?
(08:43:21 PM) Bruce: No, thanks.
(08:43:27 PM) Bruce: Bye.

lordsmurf 02-04-2020 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceOlsen (Post 66377)
it presented only a "j-mpeg" codec when capturing

Do not capture video with an editor. Use VirtualDub (or WinDV for DV).

Quote:

since 64-bit versions of vDub and its cousins all found the codecs.
64-bit is likely the issue. Some software does not acknowledge system-wide codecs, and plays in its own sandbox. Sometimes your OS sandboxes as well. Win10 is a very video-unfriendly OS.

Quote:

I asked Corel if they supported other codecs (transcript below) but they stated they don't. Maybe they didn't understand the question
(08:31:38 PM) *** Venkatesh joined the chat ***
(08:31:45 PM) Venkatesh: Welcome to Corel, My Name is Venkatesh.
(08:32:52 PM) Venkatesh: I understand your query, I am here to help you.
Typical low-knowledge cheap foreign outsourced support. Disregard. :rolleyes:

ehbowen 02-04-2020 03:47 AM

Lordsmurf is correct. I capture (analog) on a Windows XP or Win7 machine using VirtualDub, and then sneakernet the files (a hot-swap bay or external HDD dock is a big help here) to my Win10 machines for editing/rendering with VideoStudio. As long as HuffyUV and Lagarith are properly installed on the target machine, VideoStudio recognizes, imports and edits them without a whimper.

Please note that I do use VideoStudio to import digital video directly from MiniDV tapes; it's perfectly suitable for that. But don't use it to capture analog...edit, yes; render and export to DVD, Blu-ray or MP4/MPEG, yes; but analog captures are best performed on a dedicated compatible system, which means XP or maybe Win7.

One caveat about VideoStudio: Do save your work frequently. If there's any one thing I would improve, it's the stability.

BruceOlsen 02-06-2020 01:26 AM

Thanks for the input. I/m using VDub on Win10 w/ a Pinnacle 710. No plan to cap w/ anything else.

The backstory: I'd been having enormous difficulty capturing reliably so I deleted everything I'd installed, as well as any relevant codecs that came with Win10; I wasn't sure anything had been done right before (thanks in part to some back meds I was on at the time, and in part to noobishosity).

An ad for 64-bit Pinnacle Studio (1.0.0.155) happened along at that exact time so I decided to try it as a floor, figuring it would have a real installer and working set of drivers etc. Remarkably, video cap worked the first time, which simultaneously pleased and frustrated. I then installed 64-bit lagarith and huffyuv, hoping Studio would see them but it didn't, and it wouldn't import my huffyuv avis. I then experimented with the other 64-bit VDubs to see if they were any better. They saw the codecs, so I knew they were installed properly. That prompted the call to support.

Of course, that's not VideoStudio, and I didn't realize it at first because, meds; I should've been clearer at the outset. However, it does seem to have installed a better driver for the 710: I can now launch Crossbar Thing and use the 710's proc amp in real-time while VDub is previewing. It's been very useful to see what brightness and contrast do to the histogram and the image itself; worth many thousands of words.

32-bit VDub cap on Win10 is now pretty reliable, and this on a (new) decent laptop. After powering the workflow up I let it sit for a while, and sometimes have to dis/reconnect to the 710 to get preview to work (or play with the preview optimization), but once the preview comes up it's pretty reliable until the end of the day.

We have a lot of home videos, and we need to save clips from each tape to 3 or 4 places (based on who is in the video, what the event is, etc.) so lossless is important. Maybe we'll author DVDs but we're never going to do transitions, chromakey, 4K, traveling captions, et cetera. Just seeing long-lost family on 35-year old tapes is enough.

So maybe we have $100 budget for an editor. Are Vegas and VideoStudio the only reasonable options for Win10?

Thanks...

ehbowen 02-06-2020 03:52 AM

I'd suggest that you take advantage of VideoStudio's 30 day free trial. It's fully featured; you have that long to try it out and see if it works for you.

BruceOlsen 02-07-2020 08:49 PM

I'll give it a shot, thanks for the rec.

Yeah, offshore support is so frustrating because they're never properly trained; just script readers.

GaryG45 02-21-2020 09:37 AM

From what I've seen on the Corel forum I'd stay away from the 2019 version. Lots of crashes, and at one point one of the moderators went back to the 2018 version because 2019 was so unstable. I've received emails for the 2020 version, but I don't think it is available yet. It should be out in March, so it might be best to wait for it, if you can.

Hushpower 06-12-2020 10:50 PM

Movie Edit Pro.
Been using it for years, simple interface (I tried Vegas Studio but went back to MEP) and functionality but with with heaps of features. It has it's foibles but don't they all. An active support forum at Magix info. Currently running on a subscription service (only renew when/if you want). Program does not blow up if subscription expires.

waloshin 01-30-2021 12:33 PM

I love the ease of use of Premiere and the batch exporting on media encoder. Do any of these alternatives have a batch exporter?

ehbowen 01-30-2021 03:37 PM

Corel VideoStudio does have a "batch convert" feature, but I haven't tried using it yet.

rocker12 06-09-2021 02:51 PM

It all depends solely on the power of your device and your video editing needs. If you need to be engaged in high-quality linear editing, you need professional software for editings like Adobe After Effects or Premiere Pro. On the other hand, it will be much more convenient for you to use Movavi video editor if you work with weaker devices. You can download the free version https://www.movavi.com/videoeditor/ and see the full functionality. It is a convenient program that supports various formats.

BruceOlsen 06-27-2022 03:41 PM

Well, Covid knocked the stuffing out of my capture project, but just to close the loop on this Corel VideoStudio sees Lagarith and HuffYUV just fine.

Only problem is they keep harassing me to upgrade. I worked at Embarcadero for a brief while and that was their business model also: hassle the heck out of customers to buy the latest C++ compiler.


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